School bus hit by bullet inches above driver's head

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ST. PAUL, Ore. - A bullet hit the driver's side windshield of a school bus less than a foot above the driver's head on Wednesday afternoon, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.

Investigators believe the shot was accidental.

The St. Paul School District bus was westbound on St. Paul Highway at about 1 p.m. when the driver heard the impact.

The bullet hit the windshield about 10 inches above the driver's head but did not penetrate the glass. The impact left a spider-web like crack in the windshield.

There were two elementary school age children on the bus at the time. Neither the children nor the bus driver was injured.

Sr. Deputy David Wagner inspected the damage to the bus.

Wagner determined that the bus was struck in a very open, flat area, but the driver saw no one in the area. Given that it was a single shot, Wagner suspects the incident was non-intentional. It more likely came from someone shooting a firearm in the fields surrounding the area where the incident occurred.

Wagner was unable to identify the caliber of the projectile, but he suspects it was a 22 caliber or a pellet from a pellet gun.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at (503) 588-5032 or email Deputy Wagner at Dwagner@co.marion.or.us